Sultry Southern Summertime
by Kimmydonn
Summary: Edward spends the summer with his cousin and gets to know the abandoned Mrs. Cullen better than he could have ever expected. Entry for Two for the Price of One and Twin's Pick.
1. Chapter 1

_**Two for the price of One**_

_**Title : Sultry Southern Summertime**_

_**Pairing: Emmett/Esme/Edward (yep, triple E)**_

_**Word Count: 4059**_

_**Summary : Edward spends the summer with his cousin and gets to know the abandoned Mrs. Cullen better than he could have ever expected.**_

_**Disclaimer : Adult situations and scenarios. Emmett and Edward are eighteen, if just barely. If you're not. Go Away. Characters belong to Stephenie Meyer, I just like to play with them.**_

_**Twin's Choice! Check out the awesome Banner I won! Thank you Evil Twins and Abbynormale **_(www. relto. org/node/92)

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Ms. Cullen sat on the dock as she did every August afternoon. I watched her come and dip her toes in the lake, fanning herself with her sun hat, trying to cool off in the heat of the afternoon. Just as I had last summer. I'd never asked what happened to Mr. Cullen. When I came to town two years ago, moving in with my cousins Emmett and Alice, he was already out of the picture.

Today she wore white eyelet and the sun beat on it and her. She had dots of perspiration on her forehead, which faded as she fanned herself with the straw hat.

"I see you there, Edward Masen," she called, not looking in my direction. "I might not be a momma, but I can still have eyes in the back of my head."

I stepped around the apple tree I was half-tucked behind. "Afternoon, Ms. Cullen."

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me Esme? It's a perfectly simple name. No more breath than Edward or Emmett - and yes, boy, I do see you in that oak tree. You can come on down, too."

I turned to see Emmett swinging out of the tree he'd been hiding in. How long had he been there? He left the house before me. He landed on the dock behind Ms. Cullen with a thud. I worried for the old wood, expecting it to snap under his sudden weight. It didn't seem to splinter though, and he stepped out to sit beside the beautiful woman and hang his feet in the water with her.

"What can I say? It was a nice view." He flashed those endearing dimples of his, and Ms. Cullen smiled back.

"You flatter me, boy. I might not be old enough to be your Momma, but I'm old enough to give you a lickin' and send you home." She put her hat on her head and swatted his arm.

"Well, it's not flattery to say that your form graces this dirty old watering hole. I think a pig could grace this thing," he muttered looking at the muddy reeds to his left.

She punched his arm this time. "Don't be disrespecting my lake, McCarty. This here is fine, clean water and if you need proof, I'll push you in it."

"I think I'd be taking you with me, Esme." He continued to grin at her. That was Emmett, muscle-bound and muscle-brained.

"Well, boy, I wouldn't turn that down. The only reason I'm not in there already is that I sensed a couple pairs of eyeballs that would notice me pull off this dress."

Surely I hadn't heard that right. "Ms... Cullen?" I stammered.

She looked over her shoulder at me and laughed loudly. "Oh, my dear boy. Did I embarrass you?" She continued to laugh.

"Yeah, Eddie's eyes might pop if he saw a pair of real titties." Emmett clapped a hand over his mouth. "Beggin' your pardon," he murmured to Ms. Cullen.

She continued to laugh. "Well, I'd hate for that to happen! He'd miss all the fun of what's below."

This time Emmett's eyes bulged. "Be... I think I might take you up on that. I haven't seen that either!"

So crass. How had my aunt not raised him better than this? "Excuse him, Ms. Cullen." I said sitting on the dock behind her. "I think he actually was born in the barn." I put my feet to Emmett's back and pushed him over the edge into the water with a splash.

"Oh you're gettin' it, Eddie."

"Edward," I told him in a hiss. I hated being called Eddie.

"You gave him a front row seat though."

I held my breath as Ms. Cullen moved beside me, shifting her sundress up her legs. Emmett shook water out of his hair and put his arms on the dock smiling up at her. "Thanks, Edward," he murmured, not sparing a glance for me.

Why would he? Esme's legs were bared to him, white and smooth. She had a scar just above her right knee that was old and faded, but otherwise, they were flawless. She pulled until the cotton was free from beneath her and then moved it over her head. "Put that up on the shore, would you, Edward?" she asked.

I couldn't answer. I couldn't make anything but my eyes work. She was still wearing a pair of bloomers, but that was all. Her white breasts were round and pert. Her belly had a very slight bulge, making it soft rather than hard, and my eyes came back up to those bosoms. Emmett was right, I hadn't seen any before. Were they big? I didn't think so. They hadn't seemed so when they were in her dress, but now they seemed huge and I couldn't stop staring.

"Close your mouth, boy. You'll catch flies," she said as she slipped the bloomers down to her ankle. She passed those to me as well, shoving them into my hand when it didn't respond. Then she slipped off the edge of the dock beside Emmett. I was certain he was staring too. "And put that on the shore. I want them clean when I get out."

I turned just long enough to put the dress on the grass before jumping in after them.

"Cooler?" Emmett asked, tossing her hat up beside the dress. It spun in circle before landing atop beside the pile of fabric.

"Why, yes, thank you. Get your peek?" she asked, unabashed.

"Yes, and thank _you._" I cringed again at his lack of civility. I hadn't seen more of that than a triangle of hair, but being that her chest was still blazing behind my eyes, I was happy with what I'd gotten.

"So tell me, Esme, are you prone to taking your clothes off in front of eighteen year-old boys?" Emmett asked, pulling his knees up between him and the shore.

"About as prone as you are to watching mature women sunbathe on splintery old docks, McCarty, you smart-mouth." She splashed him and he pushed off the dock arching backwards to dive into the water. I noticed her follow his progress.

"He isn't offending you, is he?" I asked, sheepishly.

She hooked her arm on the dock and rested her cheek on her fist. "Why certainly not. A woman can enjoy being appreciated. Been a while since anyone has." Her eyes drifted off.

"What happened to Mr. Cullen?" I asked.

"Edward," Emmett hissed coming up behind Esme.

"No, it's alright, Emmett. He doesn't know. Mr. Cullen left me for another man. It's not known outside our little town, praise be, but it's a bit embarrassing all the same." She sunk under the water, seemingly trying to avoid us.

I felt her hands on my hips though, and if my body hadn't responded to the sight of hers, it was definitely reacting to her touch. She braced on me as she pulled herself back up out of the water. She tossed her hair back, spraying Emmett in the face. "Hmm, seems both you boys enjoyed the view," she teased, her fingers still hooked in my waist band.

"I... I..." There was no gentlemanly answer, was there?

"Ah, his body saying what his mouth can't?" Emmett winked at me around Esme's shoulder. "I got nothin' to hide," he declared, slapping his cut off pants on the dock. I watched Esme's eyes widen at the sound. She licked her lips, and I felt myself twitch under her hands.

She must have felt it, too, because she moved one hand from my hip to the front, watching my eyes. Hers were brown, clear as amber. Little black flecks in them like amber, too. I was frozen in place, just like them. I held my breath as she unbuttoned my cut offs.

"Why does Edward get all the attention?"

"Hush you," she muttered, breaking eye contact just long enough to hiss over her shoulder. "Because Edward isn't as comfortable with this. Or are you?" she asked, leveling me with that look again.

I took hold of my waistband and tucked my legs under me, pulling the pants off. I closed my eyes as I dropped them on the dock next to Emmett's.

"Does this mean I get attention?" Emmett asked, looking at Esme over her shoulder.

She shook her head carefully, still bumping Emmett's nose. "Yes, darling, now you can have some attention, before you spear me with that meat hook you've got packing there."

Once again, I was flabbergasted. Was she really referring to... and it was... and he was... Nope, my brain stopped trying. "I don't think I can do this," I said feeling a little ill.

"Oh, sweetie," Esme cooed bringing her hands to my cheeks. "No one's asking you to _do_ anything. You just take it easy, alright?" She smiled softly at me. Then she turned, although she was still close enough that I felt the tip of me skate over her skin. I groaned as it did.

"And you," she addressed Emmett in the same chastising tone she'd been using most of the afternoon, gripping his shoulders as she spun. "You stop being so hard on your cousin. Just 'cause he isn't as quick to grab a girl as you are, doesn't mean you rough him up, got it? That's just fine. Everything in its own time." She lifted herself up, half out of the water. Enough distance had opened that I only felt the ripples, not the movement itself. "Now, what sort of attention did you want?"

Her face was slightly higher than Emmett's and he slipped his gaze from her to me then back up at her again. "I think you've already figured that out." I noticed his grip on the dock tighten, his knuckles turning white. Then Esme tossed her head back.

"Damn, boy, you are big. What does your mother feed you?"

"Anything I want," he said continuing to grin, but then his eyes closed and his grin widened into a grimace. "Aye-yah," he cried out shaking his head. "So that's what that feels like."

Esme chuckled. "That's what that feels like, alright. I'd almost forgotten myself. Mmm. Gimme that mitt of yours."

I couldn't see where she put Emmett's hand, but it was obvious she had a use for it. She started moving in the water.

"Edward," Emmett whispered, "get over here."

I slid close enough that Emmett grabbed my hand and pulled it around to Esme's breast. "You ogled them enough." He latched back onto the dock before Esme was pulled under with him.

I was close enough now to feel each bob she made on Emmett, close enough to hear her breathing rasp and the quiet string of cusses she was letting loose.

I still felt strange, like I was doing something I really shouldn't be. Her movements made her nipple move up and down on my hand and I caught it between my fingers, holding for a moment.

"Yes, like that," she panted, putting her hand over mine. "Just like that."

She pinched my fingers together and Emmett let out a, "shit," just before encouraging me as well. "She's not kidding, just like that."

I still hadn't figured out where Emmett's other hand was. Hooking my elbow on the dock, I reached the other around so that I had both her breasts.

Now, to keep my hold, I had to be close, and she was pinned between Emmett and me, sliding over my dick. I thought I might blow from that alone, feeling her backside holding me.

"Jesus," Emmett cursed. His hair brushed my cheek as he tucked it into Esme's shoulder groaning. "Dammit." He moaned.

Esme's breath caught. Her head tipped back on top of mine. "Ah, yes. Mmmm."

Emmett lifted his head as she lowered hers. "Was that... I mean, did you..."

She was turned just enough for me to see her smirk. "Not quite yet. Don't be disappointed." I heard a slapping of water as she patted his cheek.

"Edward?" she asked looking over her shoulder. She leaned forward enough to slide me down. "Are you alright with this?"

Something had changed. It was so different from feeling her moving over me as she rode Emmett. The tip of me slipped into her and my hands dropped to her hips, pulling her onto my dick. I was sheathed in her and it was amazing. Sensations running my whole length, not just points. I threw my head back and we started to sink in the water.

Emmett grabbed her waist, over my hands and pulled us up.

I hooked my elbow on the dock again and thrust my hips out and in. It was instinctual. I didn't know how to move to please her, just that I had to move against her, move along that wonderful corridor that held me fast. The water was cold compared to her and I drove deeper.

"Oh, hey. This is much easier now," Emmett said, grinning. One of his hands passed mine to touch Esme's groin. Was that what he'd been doing earlier? I slid my hand toward his.

"Check this out," he said with a wink to me. Then he grabbed my hand and pushed it through her hair, to where it stopped. She tightened on me and cursed.

"Well, if you've got that, Edward," Emmett said with another wink. He sunk a little in the water and I watched him latch his mouth onto one of Esme's breasts.

"Jesus," she cussed, grinding harder on me. "You are going to let Edward find out, are you?" she murmured, neither of us understanding. I felt myself throb, though, a result of her grinding. Was she squeezing me? It felt like it, but it was so hard to tell. I continued as I had, thrusting while rubbing the spot she seemed to like.

Emmett pulled on her breast, and Esme seemed to start quivering. She stopped swearing, stopped panting, almost holding her breath. Then she shook, her hips rocking on mine, definitely squeezing me. I felt the heat build in my belly and knew I was going to blow. Never before had it gripped me so completely, or release been so sweet.

"Yes," she hissed as I did, relaxing at the same time.

"No way!" Emmett was pissed. "I didn't know that was what you meant. I was ready." He slapped his hand on the dock.

Esme chuckled. "Good news for you, then. Unlike you, it comes faster the second time." She turned to me now. "How are you doing?"

"Amazing," I said without thinking.

She chuckled. "Well, I aim to please."

"You aim well," Emmett said, kissing her cheek.

She laughed again. "You and your smart-mouth," she said shaking her head. She pulled herself up on the dock. This time we both got a good look. I don't know how long I stared, leering, until Emmett's big curly head blocked my view.

"Ah! You sure... Yes, you're sure," Esme moaned, her fingers winding in his curls and shifting forward. "God, that's good."

I pulled myself up onto the dock next to Esme and moved sit astride and behind her, letting her recline on me. Her eyes were fluttering, but she looked up with appreciation. "Thank you, Edward. Oh!" That's... just what I need."

Her eyes squeezed shut again and I kissed her furrowed brow as Emmett continued his explorations between her legs. I was looking forward to having a chance to do that myself.

"I need it, Esme," he said suddenly, pulling himself up onto the dock and crashing atop both of us. We groaned, pinned beneath him and his weight.

"You oaf!" I yelled, trying to wriggle out. He had already locked his lips on hers and rocked his hips into hers.

Well, sitting around watching wasn't nearly as much fun. I started to move away, but Esme reached out to me, seizing my knee. I stopped and her fingers walked up the inside of my thigh, pulling me toward her. Well... I could stay.

Her fingers reached for my dick, and it hardened at her touch, filling the length of hand. She licked her lips as she watched the head disappear behind her fingers. I leaned into her, shifting on my knees and moving closer to her head.

"You are so sexy, Esme. God, I have dreamed of this..." Emmett moaned.

"Since you were fourteen?" she retorted, chuckling. It turned into a gasp and she arched, tightening her grip on me and making me groan as well.

"About that long," Emmett replied, chuckling.

She turned her head to me, and pulled me down, licking the tip of me, pushing back my foreskin. I thought my heart stopped. After stroking a few more times, she did the same again, putting the tip of me in her mouth.

It seemed awkward, and I moved to straddle her head. She grinned and pulled more of me into her mouth, causing my head fall forward. The warmth and softness of her mouth drove me only slightly less wild than those below. Here, her teeth occasionally grazed me, making me arch and fight against pressing myself into her.

She released me long enough to mutter, "Good Lord, boy, you are a fast learner." It wasn't addressed to me. She didn't take me in her mouth again, stroking me erratically. I looked over my shoulder to see what Emmett was doing. He had one ivory leg pushed up to his shoulder, and the other held by the knee. I could see him disappearing into her as I had been into her mouth.

Looking toward Emmett, I could also see her dark nipples, pinched and ridged to points. Twisting again, moving to her side, I bent, covering one with my mouth. My tongue rolled over it, feeling the ripples, the dip at the top, the slight bumps around the edge.

"Shit, here it comes. Don't... bite..."

My brow creased, unsure what she meant, but I recognized the tension in her belly.

Of course, I wouldn't bite, but maybe I could... Dragging my teeth lightly over the nipple in my mouth, I pulled on the other with my finger and thumb, just as lightly, a small pinch.

Small effort, but amazing result. She and Emmett both let out a series of grunts and I thought the dock might shake apart from the violence of his thrusts into her. Her hand clenched, making me wince, but my lips stayed locked on her breast, sucking it in as she arched.

Emmett slowed, rolling himself right back into the water and resting his head on his arms. "Holy shit. That was incredible."

Esme continued to lay on the dock, breathing deeply, eyes hooded. She was beautiful. Her husband was a fool. My fingers followed the line of her cheek, her lips.

She chuckled a little. "Not falling in love are you, Edward. I think your parents might frown upon that."

Ignoring her, I dragged the tips of my fingers down her throat, around a breast, down her side to her hip, then just the index finger over her hip bone, into the dark hair between her thighs. She shivered when I reached that point.

"Are you cold?" I asked, finally feeling more comfortable.

She pursed her lips. "Perhaps. You going to warm me up?" Her eyes opened and she reached for me again, closing those deceptively strong fingers around me and stroking.

My eyes closed at the sensation. "If you'd like."

"At least come back in the water so I can play, too," Emmett complained.

I gave him a look of pure loathing. Then I returned to my slow trail of discovery, finding the bright red skin beyond the hair, and the nub that I had been brushing in the water.

"Shit, Edward, stop teasing me," Esme moaned, her head back on the dock.

Emmett shook his head at me from the water, but I barely saw it. My eyes were trained on the fluid slowly flowing out of her. Emmett's, but not all of it, I thought. Tracing the dripping entry, she arched, groaning. She tightened around my finger, and I pressed in.

Emmett snickered. Fortunately, Esme didn't hear, but I shot him a warning glance anyway. He'd had his turn, this was mine. He rolled his eyes and climbed, dripping, out of the water. He laid down, kicking me in the back and put his face to Esme's, kissing first her mouth and then her neck. After glaring at the offending feet, I turned back to the woman laying before me, to my fingers disappearing inside her.

As much as I wanted to put my dick there again, there was a clarity in what I did now, a focus. I watched her reactions to each stroke, each twitch of my fingers, and I felt her start to clamp down on them.

She broke her kiss. "Goddamn. I've never... What... Shit..." She lost coherency as she bucked her hips against my hand. A little startled, but rather proud of myself, I held, pressing against her and moving my hand quickly but not far. I worked to rub the one point I had found that set her off.

Emmett put a hand under her head as she started grinding it into the dock, arching further, her arms outstretched. She seemed to bloom, turning pink and the slickness in my hand, which had been Emmett, renewed, and was not his any longer.

She stilled, panting again. "I don't think... anyone... has ever... what did you do?"

I grinned and slid my fingers along her, brushing that sensitive nub, which I noticed was rigid now. She twitched and swore again.

"You have to show me," Emmett said.

"Ugh, not today he doesn't," Esme complained, rolling onto her side. "I don't know about you boys, but I'm tuckered right out." She rolled right off the side of the dock and under the water. She didn't emerge right away, but when she did, she looked much calmer, and tired. I jumped up, grabbing her clothes and bringing them while Emmett pulled her back out of the water. She leaned on him a little, taking small steps.

"Thank you, Edward. The girl who snags you is one lucky filly."

"I... don't have a girlfriend," I mumbled.

She chuckled, pulling her dress down over her head. "I'm sure that won't be a problem for long."

"Esme," Emmett asked, looking sheepish. "Will you be here next weekend?"

She froze in the process of putting on her bloomers, one foot pointed. She finished pulling them up, licking her lips.

"I guess that depends. Will you?" She looked at him first, but before he could answer, she cocked an eyebrow at me.

"Uh... yes. I'll... be here all summer," my voice solidified toward the end. I looked at Emmett thinking I was up to the competition.

His jaw jutted to the left as he weighed me.

"You will," Esme said with a sigh. "Well good. Then we'll have lots of time together, won't we?" She settled her hat on her head and walked away, leaving Emmett and I watching her hips sway.

"Do you believe _that_ just happened?"

"Yep," he answered. "I can't believe it might happen again though." He shook his head in disbelief and shook out his cut-off pants before donning them.

Despite believing myself the better gentleman, I had to agree.


	2. Chapter 2

I continued down the street to the grocer's. My aunt had sent Emmett with me to pick up the necessities for supper tonight, but he'd run into Rose at the corner and was still talking to her, trying to lure her away. He'd been trying for weeks, hoping to get more than kisses from her. Not that kissing her wasn't enough to have him waxing poetic on a moonlit night, but he always had to try his luck. Rather than wait for them, I'd decided to get the groceries myself. I froze at the door, though.

Esme Cullen stepped through it, calling over her shoulder to the grocer behind her. Her caramel curls fell to the middle of her back where her dress started, light green today, tight across her breasts and held up with thin straps. Her fair skin tempted me as it had every day since the first she'd bared so much of it. My hand even rose, outstretched, before I realized my folly.

She turned and started. "Edward," she said with a gasp and a hand to her chest. "I didn't expect to run into you here. I figured you'd be on your aunt's farm." Her smile was as warm as ever, though I noticed her eyes cast up and down the street, looking for observers.

They were there, a couple of older men on the bench in front of the barber's, a woman pushing a baby along. I swallowed, not sure what to say or do.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Cullen," I said at last, tipping my head slightly. She beamed at me. I had learned to call her Esme when we were alone, but knew that sometimes calling her Mrs. Cullen seemed to illicit an even better response.

"I trust you are enjoying your summer?" she asked, not seeming at all deterred by the eyes around us. Her eyes drifted down my chest and back to my face in appraisal. It felt like a caress.

My pants became tighter; my whole body felt tense. "Yes. Hot this year. Or perhaps it's only because it's my second." Did my voice catch? It sounded forced to me. In a way it was. Very difficult not to imagine the woman across from me in nothing but her skin. I undressed her with my eyes now, peeling away the thin cotton to reveal her creamy white skin, so soft under my fingers.

"It's not only you. The heat this year has been extraordinary. Sweltering, sultry even." Her drawl made the words sinful. Sultry... hot, wet, sweating...

"My aunt is waiting for me," I said quickly, pushing past her, unable to take any more. "I should really get the things she asked for."

"Of course," she said as her hand brushed up my leg over the seat of my pants. "Perhaps we'll bump into one another again." With that, she headed down the street. I nearly sagged in relief. I was sure I was only moments from pressing her against the store door and kissing her senseless.

"Edward?" the grocer, Harry, asked. "You don't look well. You need some water?" He filled a glass and passed it to me.

I took it gratefully and gulped once. "Yes, thank you. The sun," I muttered, blaming the heat again. Wandering past the tables, I collected the items Aunt Lynn had requested. I didn't see Emmett as I walked back to the farm. Perhaps Rose had finally broken down.

"Thank you, Edward," Aunt Lynn practically sang as she took the vegetables from me. "These look perfect." She set about washing and chopping while I excused myself. Moments later, I was at the pond.

Even though I knew Esme wouldn't be here—she was probably preparing her own meal—it seemed the right place to be. I lounged with my back to an oak, closing my eyes and remembering some of the afternoons spent here. I was still on edge from our encounter in town. The forbidden nature of our dalliance was emphasized there. If anyone knew...

What? It wouldn't tarnish me much. I wasn't likely to be back once I started at Princeton in the fall. She had to live here, though, and she had enough to contend with, reputation-wise, already.

My eyes were only half-closed, but I was still startled when a pair of hands covered them.

"Who—?" I asked.

"Guess?" that warm sticky drawl asked.

"Esme?" I pulled one hand down to kiss the inside of her wrist. "The beautiful scorned angel that walks my dreams?"

She tsked at me. "You know better, Edward. I'm no angel, and no dream either," she said, coming around the tree with a grin.

At least she didn't chide me for flattering her. She often did. She had voiced concern about my becoming attached to her, worried about me falling in love. I cupped her cheek in my hand, then slid my hand behind her head, pulling her close enough to kiss. "I have been wanting to do that..."

She chuckled, touching my pants. "I did notice," she teased, rubbing along my length. "You do flatter a woman, Edward Masen."

I shook my head slowly. "Not flattery. I thought I would explode. I was sure, a few minutes longer and I'd have you pressed to Clearwater's door."

She pulled on my free hand, yanking me to my feet before turning and putting her back to the tree. "Show me," she demanded breathily.

"Esme," I murmured, kissing her again, one hand sliding up her bare arm. Then I turned and kissed my way along it, starting at her elbow. Such smooth, soft skin she had. My lips seemed rough in comparison.

Her nails ran over my scalp and one leg hitched a little, foot rubbing the back of my calf. "Yes, Edward," she agreed.

My head was buried in the crook of her neck, nipping and licking the column as she continued to rake through my hair. My hips pressed between hers, lifting her slightly, until I had her pinned to the tree. The raking turned to tugging.

I'd never had her to myself. Always before Emmett came with me to this place. Today he was with Rose, and I couldn't be more grateful. Hand sliding along her thigh, I pushed her skirt back and reached the cotton at her crotch, brushing it with my fingers.

She seemed to sag, hips tipping out to my touch. She was as needy as I was. "God, yes, Edward. Please."

"As you wish, Mrs. Cullen," I murmured in her ear, slipping my fingers around the scant barrier, brushing skin twice before pushing into her.

Her head thumped on the tree as she arched back. Her nails dug into my shoulders, as though she feared being washed away. I attacked her neck again, eyes watching the lines on her face come and go as she tensed and released, the ecstatic expressions that crossed her features. She was amazing to watch; something else Emmett always got in the way for. He was so quick to seek his own desire that he didn't stop to watch hers.

I burned where I rubbed against the inside of her thigh, but all my attention was on her breath, coming in pants; her eyes, flicking open between seconds squeezed shut; and her lips, quivering, mumbling and occasionally pulled by her teeth. My release always came quickly, with little effort on either of our parts, but she... she could stay at the edge of it, or reach it again and again.

Picking up speed and moving my hips in time with my hand, I urged her on, knowing she would come for me soon. Foul words fell from her lips, but they sounded like warm honey, dripping sweetly, all vileness gone and only passion remaining.

"I'm going to, I'm going to... Damn!" The last was nearly shouted, though rasped to keep some of the volume out. There wasn't likely anyone to hear anyway.

It was only when I took my eyes from her face that I noticed her dress fallen to her waist and a pair of large hands covered her breasts. Emmett had found us after all, it seemed. He winked at me from around the tree and pinched Esme's nipples, making her cry again.

"No fair, starting without me," he complained, dropping his pants as he rounded the corner. "Rose left me hot and bothered, thinking to send me home that way."

"Her loss is my gain?" Esme asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"If you'd like," he grinned back her, dimples prominent. His hip pushed me aside and his hand took one of Esme's thighs over my own. He scowled. "You didn't take her panties off?" He looked at me like I might be another color. Shaking his head, he slipped the fabric down the leg he didn't hold, leaving them to dangle from the one he did. Then, pushing me the rest of the way, he took both her legs and stepped into her, pressing her into the tree again.

"Shit," she swore, suddenly speared.

"Damn, you're wet," he moaned. "So hot and slick."

She was panting already, still high from the orgasm she'd just had.

"Feels like you're dripping on me, Esme."

Grumpy, I opted not to stand around and watch, walking a few steps away. I stopped at a pair of rubber boots. They were too small for a man. I looked over my shoulder to see them lost in one another. Were they Esme's?

Emmett swore loudly, finished apparently, and Esme's head was on his shoulder as she shook. "Unbelievable," he murmured. "You're going to spoil me," he said with a chuckle. "Rose will never be able to hold a candle—" She slapped him suddenly, putting her feet down.

"You will not compare her to me, or me, her. Do you understand, McCarty? If she gives herself to you—if, mind! —you will be as gentle and slow with her as need be. She is not some hussy to be used and left." Her brown eyes seemed to light with flames. Even from this distance I could feel them, and Emmett showed he did as well.

Flinching, he backed away from Esme. "Of course. I... I didn't mean... You aren't a hussy!" he declared, standing a little straighter. "We aren't using you."

I smiled a little, glad to see him acting less a boy and more a man.

Esme's face softened and she leaned back on the tree as though no longer able to hold herself as straight as she had been. Anger had probably given her the energy in the first place. "I appreciate that. I didn't mean you." She looked down and realized the state of undress she was in, her panties around one ankle.

"Look at what you've done to my dress!" she shouted, sliding it off. The back was a mess of frayed fabric. "Did you tear it open?" she asked in disgust.

"Maybe," Emmett said sheepishly, hanging his head.

She frowned and threw it at him. "Well, you can just keep it then." She stepped into her panties and stalked toward me. "Your arm, Edward?" she asked, placing a hand on my forearm. She balanced on me as she stepped into the rubber boots and then walked away, her cotton panties pulled high enough to show the cheeks beneath. I watched open-mouthed as she made her way home. She wasn't likely to run into anyone, but it wasn't impossible either.

Emmett whistled after her and she smirked over her shoulder at him. I shook my head, but jogged up to her. Emmett didn't follow. "Let me make sure you get home."

She laughed. "Edward, my yard doesn't point into town. No one is going to see me popping in my back door." I looked to Emmett, who shook his head and headed for the farm. Supper would be ready soon, I realized. I also realized that I didn't care. Aunt Lynn would forgive. Even if she didn't, I was only here a few more days, little more than a week.

She stopped abruptly, looking at me. "Don't you need to be getting home?"

I looked over her chest, her belly and back up to her face. "I think everything I need is here."

She shook her head, muttering unintelligibly, though I made out "boys" at least once. "Come on in then. I'm sure I have something to feed you."

I'd never been to Esme's house. It was small and square, no more than two bedrooms upstairs and little aside from a kitchen and sitting room down. She slipped into the bathroom as soon as we entered, instructing me from around the door.

"Just help yourself to whatever is in the icebox. I'll grill up something as soon as I change."

I scorned the fridge and waited outside the bathroom. She nearly walked into me, completely naked now.

"Edward!" she yelped in astonishment. I silenced her with my lips on hers and scooped her up.

"I hope you don't mind, Mrs. Cullen, but you told me to help myself." I laid her on the table and kissed my way down her chest.

She chuckled. "Impertinent. I did at that," she agreed. She gasped when I laid a first kiss to the hair between her legs.

"You don't have to—"

It was cut off again as I explored freely. I even nudged a chair over to sit at the edge of the table, my eyes level with her.

She sat up, resting on her elbows, when I paused to admire her: plump pink lips that I pushed aside, looking over the glistening treasures they hid. I gazed up for a moment, catching her eyes.

"Still that interesting to you?" she asked with a smirk.

"Very much so."

Holding the lips open, I tasted her. I'd wanted to do this, but always Emmett fouled it for me. She'd cleaned, I could tell, and I wasn't about to miss the opportunity again. Her breath came in a rush, and I saw her head fall back again, her arms shaking slightly.

"Should I wait?" I asked, praying she'd say no. I kept my mouth to her, my tongue lapping lightly, trying to pull more flavor from her.

"Oh, God," she murmured before falling back to the table. "You boys... I haven't... I'll lose my mind yet to one of you."

I smiled. "I hope it's me."

I licked up the slit, flicking my tongue over the bud that made her twitch. I looked, but could only see her heaving breasts, her head nearly hanging off the other end of the table. That wouldn't do.

Running my tongue once more over her, I jumped up and ran into the bathroom, returning with two of the towels.

"Am I making that much of a mess?" she asked.

I shook my head. "I can't see you."

"You can see all of me, Edward," she complained, rising to her elbows again. I took the opportunity to fold and wedge the towels behind her, propping her up.

"Lie back," I told her softly, and she did with a small smile, shifting to burrow into the fabric. Now her face appeared just between the peaks from my vantage point. "Yes, perfect. You're sure you don't mind?"

Her eyebrows shot up and a strangled sound came from her throat. "I don't think you have any idea how much I don't mind, Edward. My husband never made me feel half so good in the years I had him. No one has ever taken so much concern for how I enjoyed..." She cut off shaking her head. "I wish I could keep you. I wish I could let you fall in love with me and share this tiny place."

She swung her legs to the side, sitting up, and then leaning down over me. Tears seemed to glisten in her eyes as she bent down to kiss me, ever so gently. "Your wife is going to be the luckiest woman on earth," she vowed.

"Is there any real reason that couldn't be you?" I asked. I wasn't pledging my troth—I hadn't really thought as far as that—but I had considered the repercussions to myself, and they seemed small and fleeting. An older wife might lead to some odd glances in a new town, but likely no more than that.

"Yes, Edward, there is. You are leaving, and I am not." Her warm eyes continued to hold mine. "This is my home, and I don't plan on giving it up at a whim. I may not have much, but some small dignity remains to me, and small property." Her eyes flitted around the room with another smile.

I nodded, my nose brushing hers as I did. "I wouldn't think to ask you to. Let's not rule that out though, if you don't mind." I took her hand, lacing my fingers among hers, kissing knuckles, then wrist, then elbow. She giggled and the sound made my heart jump. So young and free, so much lighter than her normal chuckle. "A part of me will always be yours, Esme."

She hopped down from the table. "Edward," she began, setting herself in my lap and wrapping her arms around me, "I will be glad to see you happily married, whoever she may be. My hold on you will be smaller than you think, but I will be happy to keep it." Ruffling my hair, her lips closed on mine again.

There was a knock at the back door, making Esme pull back in confusion. She looked to the doorway just as heavy feet padded in.

"Mom said to bring you home," Emmett said sulkily. "I tried to tell her you were fine and would find yourself something to eat, but she insisted I scour town for you." He hung his head. "Sorry to burst in on you, Esme."

She alighted from me and patted Emmett's cheek. "You are a good boy, obeying your mama. Now you just go home and tell her where you found Edward, if not what state I'm in, and tell her I asked him to stay for dinner. I asked you to stay, too, but someone had to come home to tell her where the other was. Got that?"

Emmett smiled a little. "Only if I get to come over for dinner tomorrow night," he said, grinning. "Why should he get all the attention?"

I groaned, but Esme just chuckled. "Fair enough. Now run along before she frets any more than she already has."

He kissed her once, but made it last a full minute, his hands holding and lifting her against him. "I look forward to tomorrow." He left wearing the same grin.

She shook her head a little. Turning to me, she started. "I didn't even ask, Edward. Would you rather have gone? You still can, of course."

I crossed the kitchen to her in two strides and silenced her with my lips. "There is nowhere I would rather be right now. Unless, perhaps, it were somewhere you were more comfortable?" I asked.

She grinned back at me and led me up the stairs. "I think there might be."

Esme's bedroom wasn't so different from what I expected. The linens were white, the walls clean with only a few faded photographs. The yellow curtains gave everything a sunny haze.

"Is this to your liking?" she asked, walking to the window and opening it further. "Not even a ghost of a breeze. It's cooler downstairs, if you'd rather."

I pressed myself to her back, running my nose through her hair while inhaling deeply. "I think this is exactly to my liking."

She moaned very softly, nudging her hips further into me. "Edward," she whispered, turning her head enough for me to kiss her over her shoulder. Fidgeting my fingers between us, I released and dropped my pants, kicking them behind me.

"Lean forward," I suggested. Her hands were still on the white sill. Her window looked out into town, but the streets were empty, everyone at supper.

She groaned but did as I requested. I pulled her hips back further until her breasts brushed the sill between her hands.

"Better keep an eye out for peepers," I whispered into her ear as I pushed myself into her, watching her breasts sway with the momentum. She gasped, just as I'd hoped she would. "Wouldn't want any other young men getting ideas about you." Then I straightened, holding her hips as I thrust into them again.

Reaching around her hip, I put a hand to the front of her, tipping her hips onto me, rubbing harder inside her.

"Fuck, Edward," she moaned. She felt so hot on me and she was so wet from earlier, nearly as sultry as the weather outside. It was definitely hotter in here, though. I added to it by thrusting faster, feeling myself lose control each time she squeezed me.

"God," she cried, clenching her jaw. "I know you boys aren't actively competing, but Emmett is definitely losing." She swirled her hips before tightening on me. Her movement set me off and I exploded, gritting my own teeth and grunting slightly. I felt so base, so feral at this moment. In some ways, it seemed the worst of me, but the best of her. I was disappointed I couldn't see her face.

Planning to rectify that, I scooped her up, flipping her in my arms. She flailed once before wrapping an arm around my neck. "Edward?" she asked, startled.

"I'm not quite finished yet," I warned her, ripping back the spread to lay her on the sheets.

"I was hoping you weren't," she admitted, leaning back on her elbows and tossing her still damp curls. Bending her knees, she parted them slightly, anticipating.

Bracing on my left hand, between her knees, I leaned up into her and kissed her. "I would never leave you wanting, Esme," I promised, kissing her lips again, then her ear and neck. I leaned into my other hand and moved the one between her legs to spread the wetness slowly oozing from her.

Her hand tightened and pinched on my shoulders when I brushed sensitive points, but rather than linger, I explored, sliding further down.

"What are you doing, boy?" she asked, her head tilted back, exposing more of her throat for me to nibble.

"Anything you like," I answered. "You'll tell me what you don't like, won't you?" I slid further, finding her puckered hole.

She gasped when I touched it and her legs twitched. "I will," she said almost in a growl. Her nails began to dig into my shoulders as I moved more slick liquid toward her ass. "Shit. No wonder he liked that so much," she muttered.

I stopped briefly, my finger still tracing her. "Who?"

"Shit," she cussed again. "Carlisle always wanted me touching him there, wanted to fuck me there. I liked neither, but it didn't feel like this." She pressed against my finger and it popped in. "Damn, that does feel good."

The thick puckering smoothed inside her and I felt her squeezing. "I'm glad you like it," I told her, still a little uncomfortable at the memories I'd stirred. "You're sure it's all right?"

"Just kiss me, Edward. I don't want to think about him." She pulled me toward her and my finger slid free. I brought my now free hand around her back, holding her tightly to me while willing the ugliness away. My hands refused to be happy flat on her skin. One moved to cup and caress a breast. The other slid down her back, over the dimpling at the base of her spine and back into the cleft between her cheeks.

I pulled back slightly, upset at myself. She'd just said she didn't like what her husband had done there.

"It's fine, Edward. Really. Please." She guided my wrist back to where it had been and I toyed more slowly. The time allowed my stamina to return, and soon I was rubbing myself between us as I pressed a finger into her again.

"May I, Mrs. Cullen?" I asked, shifting my hips to her entrance even as my finger was still inside her from behind.

"Oh, God, yes." Her closed eyes opened to gaze on me with fire. She'd been rubbing herself on me, but just like me, she wanted more.

"Esme?" Emmett called from downstairs. I sighed and started to pull away from her.

"Come on up," she called. Then she whispered just to me. "I think you can do what Carlisle couldn't." She turned beneath me, my finger slipping from her again. Her entire back seemed to glisten from sweat and her liquid and mine. Leaning toward me, she lined herself up and sat back very slowly.

The door opened just when I thought I was going to ignite from the pressure of being pressed into such a tight hole. I hadn't even gotten in yet.

"Whoa," Emmett murmured, staring at us.

"Nope," Esme declared, rising. "You stay there for another minute," she ordered Emmett. Then she took my hands and turned me around. "You sit," she ordered me. Then she took up where she had stopped before. It seemed much easier for her to simply sit on me, although I still thought my dick might fold up or break as more and more weight was put on it. It was sudden for both of us and we gasped when the tension broke and I slid into her.

"Good God," I muttered, wrapping my arms around her chest and holding her tightly in an effort to fight off the urge to simply blow inside her. My face screwed up as she squeezed around me.

"Good God in heaven," she answered.

"Am I allowed to move yet?" Emmett asked. I had forgotten he was in the room. He had undressed and was stroking himself, watching us. "You look like you're enjoying that, Esme," he said with a smirk.

"I am and you may." She didn't move from me but seemed to settle herself even further. I groaned, fighting the same need as before while nibbling her shoulder.

"I'm going to come," I warned her.

"Really?" she said, a little disappointed. "I understand." She sighed a little.

I ground my teeth and held my breath. "Just hurry," I growled.

"You heard him," she told Emmett. "Get over here."

My eyes, closed against the impending orgasm, flew open and found my cousin's. He was standing in front of us and Esme was lifting her legs to his hips.

"Really?" he asked in alarm and surprise.

"You boys almost skewered me like this in the water. I've been wondering since then. Almighty Lord," she cursed, her hair falling back on me as she leaned heavily into me. I understood why**.** Seconds later**, **I felt... something pushing against me.

"You are so tight, Esme. I feel like I'm going to rip you," Emmett said with concern. It sounded odd when so much of what came from his mouth was bravado.

"Fuck, yes, I'm tight. I'm stretched right open. Damn." She squeezed me again, and the pressure grew. She was more tight.

"Oh, God," I groaned, knowing I was going to lose it.

"Wow-whee!" Emmett let out like a boy, and I felt a twitch before he pulled out slightly and then rocked back into Esme's hips.

That did it for me. I pulsed into Esme, groaning and growling against her shoulder while squeezing her chest tight to me.

"Yes!" she cried out, spasming on both of us.

Emmett, seemingly oblivious to either of us, rocked against her three more times. Oversensitive, I thought I would lose my mind. Esme, rather than complain, seemed to encourage him, squeezing me right out as I softened and crying louder and more foully as Emmett pounded his thick length into her until he came as well.

"Don't even think about collapsing on us," I warned him.

His hands were on either side of my hips, his head between Esme's breasts, while both of them gasped for breath. "I'm not thinking at all," he admitted.

"Lord almighty, I have never, will never..." Esme shook her head, unable to express herself.

"What brings you, Emmett?" I asked tersely.

"Huh? Oh. Just wanted to let you know Mom washed all your stuff. You just need to pack it."

Esme shifted from me to sit next to me on the bed. Emmett moved to her side.

"You leave soon?" Esme asked, stroking a hand through my sweat dampened hair.

"Day after tomorrow." I wasn't looking forward to it as I had been at the beginning of the summer.

"And you?" she asked Emmett. "What do you have planned in the fall?"

"Just work," he complained, slouching a little. "Mom's got me lined up with the lumber mill. Not sure if I'm in the mill or jacking."

Esme nodded, rubbing his head. "You boys are both going to be great men." She leaned over to kiss Emmett's cheek and then mine. "You are going to make two women very lucky." She rose and walked to the door. "I'm going to shower again. You can see yourselves out?"

"Wait, Esme," I called, running to catch her.

"Clean break, Edward," she told me, not turning back when I tugged her arm. "You're going to Princeton. I'm staying here."

"What about me?" Emmett demanded. "I'm staying here."

This time she did turn, sighing. "Yes, and you are courting Rosalie Hale. Look, you boys are both dear and I wish the summer wouldn't end, but it does. Take what we've had and cherish it, but make new memories with women you love."

"I love _you_," I murmured, not quite able to accept what she said.

"Go on, Edward. Trust me. There is another girl out there. She will tie your heart in knots that I can't, I won't. Live, be happy. Find what I didn't." Emmett opened his mouth, but she rounded on him, poking him in the chest. "And you will _not_ dishonour Rosalie by letting anything about this get around. Do you hear me, Emmett McCarty? You. Will. Not." She poked on each word.

"Yes, Mrs. Cullen," he muttered, ducking his head.

"Good. Now, both of you, out of my house. This is no place for either of you." She turned and stomped down her stairs. The door to the bathroom slammed.

"She doesn't mean it," I said, looking at my cousin. He was in the process of pulling his pants back on.

"I think she does. You better get going. I think she's going to be right pissed if we're here when she gets out."

I couldn't believe him either, but stumbled into my clothes and out the door.


	3. Chapter 3

"Thank you for coming with me, Bella. I know my cousin will want to meet you." I looked to her from the grey late autumn sky.

She smiled at me, her warm brown eyes full of love. "I can't wait to meet him. I love weddings." I put an arm around her shoulders as the train pulled into the station and kept it there until I grabbed our bags to disembark.

Aunt Lynn was waiting on the platform with one of my many cousins, Alice. "Edward!" my aunt called, waving. I nudged Bella in her direction and followed with my burdens. "You must be Isabella," she said, hugging Bella. "Edward said he'd hoped you'd come with him."

"It was here or Washington, and my father agreed, this would be a nicer respite for the holidays." Bella patted my aunt's back and then smiled at me.

"Oh, come on, Edward, let's get those in the car." Aunt Lynn led us from the platform.

I rode in the back seat with Bella, but my cousin continued to stare at us over the seat. Bella leaned into me and whispered, "I think she's waiting for you to kiss me." She giggled and my cousin did the same.

"Well, I wouldn't keep her waiting." Holding the back of Bella's neck, I caught her lips in my own. We kept it mostly chaste, but when Bella's tongue swept my lip, I almost embarrassed us both.

"Vixen," I murmured, touching my forehead to hers.

"You bring out the best in me," she taunted in return.

"Here we are," my aunt declared, oblivious to the entire exchange. "Bella, you'll be sharing Alice's room. I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not," Bella said with grace, following my cousin into the house.

"And you, Edward, will have Emmett's room. It'll be empty after the wedding, but we have a cot in there 'til then."

I nodded to my aunt as I pulled our bags from the trunk and followed her into the house.

I froze inside the door. Esme Cullen was helping another of my cousins prepare buns for the oven. She was as beautiful as I remembered, but much thicker in the middle. My stomach turned in fear and dread.

I relaxed slightly as I noticed more women from town bustling around the farm's large kitchen. Some made salads, others were stuffing a trio of turkeys. Bella was disappearing up the stairs with Alice, so I followed with her bag, leaving mine on the landing.

"Don't let her talk your ear off," I warned.

"I won't," Bella laughed. She frowned slightly. "Is something wrong?"

"No? Why?"

"You seem troubled. Wedding jitters?" she teased.

I laughed in return. "No, not that." Rosalie had planned a huge wedding, so I'd been recruited as one of the groomsmen.

"Then what?" she asked again, rubbing my arms. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"It's nothing, really. Why don't you change? You'll feel better out of your travel things." I kissed her forehead, trying to reassure her.

"All right," she said with a sigh, turning into Alice's room.

I carried my bag to Emmett's room and kicked enough of his things out of the way to set it on the floor. He'd even piled items on the cot my aunt had managed to cram in. I didn't bother changing, needing to know if my fears were founded.

"Hello, Mrs. Clearwater," I greeted the grocer's wife. "Mrs. Hale." Rosalie's mother was helping**,** as well. "Mrs. Cullen." Esme nodded to me, giving me no more mind than any of the others. I found my aunt, just donning her apron. "Aunt Lynn, does Mrs. Cullen look different to you, or is it just because I've been gone so long?"

My aunt smiled. "I think it's just you, dear." She moved to the sink to peel carrots as the other women each bustled at her own chore.

Bella descended in a pretty green dress and latched onto my hand. "Save me?" she whispered.

I chuckled and herded her into the mud room, away from my cousin, who was summoned to peel carrots with her mother. "Absolutely. I think they'd rather we weren't underfoot."

Leading her through town, I found my cousin and his bride-to-be.

"You made it!" Emmett boomed, grabbing me in a bear hug. "This must be Bella. It's wonderful to meet you. How do you stand him?" he asked, sticking a thumb in my direction.

I thumped him on the back, but he just laughed. Rosalie cleared her throat and raised an eyebrow.

"Shit," Emmett cussed. "Bella, I'd like you to meet Rosalie, my wo... wonderful wife." I was certain he'd been about to say 'woman,' but Rosalie had obviously made improvements on his manners.

"Charmed," Rosalie said with a false smile, taking Bella's hand lightly.

Bella's eyes flicked to me, but I had no way to help her. The icy blonde had always been a little full of herself. In truth, I never understood why my cousin went for her. Even more surprising was her accepting him.

"Congratulations," Bella finally managed with a small smile. "It is lovely to meet you both."

"Would you like to see the flowers they've brought in for me?" Rosalie asked Bella, brightening. "They've been growing in a hot house for weeks. Come," she beckoned. Bella shot me a look that demanded I follow. I wouldn't leave her with Rosalie in any case, but I did lag behind to talk with Emmett.

"Is Esme...?" I wasn't sure how to ask.

"She hasn't said two words to me since September," Emmett said bitterly. "Simply ignores me and walks away most of the time. I don't get much chance to see her anyway. The mill sends me out a lot. I don't think she is."

At least he knew my fear and shared it. He walked as stiffly as I did. Rosalie continued to chatter at Bella, and I wondered if this was any better than my cousin. It probably wasn't.

"Say, the boys at the mill are throwing me a party tonight. You should come. No dames, though," he said, shooting a look at Bella. "Sort of a 'last rites' deal." He hung his head as though he were giving life rather than just his bachelor status.

I snorted. "Maybe. I don't really want to leave Bella. You know Alice," I reminded him.

He pulled a face. "Yeah, good point."

"Emmett," Rosalie called and my cousin trotted up.

Bella fell back beside me. "Is he sure he wants to do this?" she asked.

I chuckled. "He seems sure. He's been chasing after Rosalie for years and she's been stringing him along almost as long. I'm not surprised he jumped when she said yes."

Bella nodded, regarding the couple. Then she smiled. "She's different with him than with me. Calmer, less proud."

I kissed her temple, always amazed at her intuition.

"Now**, **will you tell me what is bothering you?" she asked, crossing her arms.

I sighed heavily. "It's not really something that's easy to say, Bella."

She held her hard expression for another minute, but when I didn't budge, she eased up and patted my cheek. "Try? Sometime soon?"

"I'll try," I promised. How was I supposed to tell her that the older woman I had dallied with in the summer might be carrying my child? I could barely fathom it myself.

As I led Bella back to the farmhouse, the object of my distraction approached.

"Hello, Edward. Who is your friend?" she asked, smiling at Bella.

"This is Isabella Swan. She's attending Princeton." Bella offered Esme her hand and they shook amicably.

"It's nice to meet you, Miss Swan. I'm Mrs. Esme Cullen. I hope you enjoy your stay here." Esme's eyes inspected Bella from the curls peeking out from under her hat to the buckles on her shoes. Then she looked to me and nodded once.

"I'm sure I will," Bella agreed, wrapping an arm around my waist. Mine curved around her shoulders reflexively. I stiffened, though, thinking about holding Bella in front of Esme.

"Good day," Esme bid us both, passing.

"Wait," I called turning. Esme paused, both eyebrows raised as she looked over her shoulder at me. "Are you well, Mrs. Cullen?" How else could I ask?

Her expression softened, a smile on her full lips. Memories of kissing them returned to me. "I'm in fine health. Thank you for asking, Edward." With that, she continued on her way.

"You have a lot of explaining to do, Edward Masen," Bella muttered, tone cool as she strode half a step ahead of me.

"Wh-what?" I trotted to keep up with her.

"Who was that?" she asked.

I took a deep breath. "A path not taken," I answered poetically.

Bella's eyes narrowed. "Oh, I think you went down that path." She stomped a little harder.

"And I came back to this one. I stayed on this one," I reminded her. "I'm here with you."

She stopped abruptly and I had to take a step back. "You're sure?" she asked, seeming to stare right through me. I didn't know what Bella was thinking, but it seemed certain she would see through anything I said.

"I wasn't, but I am now." I held my breath as she weighed my response.

She nodded and looped an arm through mine. "You're going to Emmett's party tonight?" she asked next.

I stumbled. "How did you know?"

She shook her head. "Your conversation wasn't quiet, and I wasn't really listening to Rosalie droning about roses and rosemary."

I smiled and stopped, turning her into my arms in the deserted lane. I held her to me and kissed her as I'd been unwilling to in the car. "I love you, Bella Swan."

She smiled. "I think I love you, too."

_Live, be happy,_ I remembered Esme telling me.


End file.
